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Tech Tips for Seniors

January 31, 2025

Bring your cell phone, tablet, or laptop to the library to get assistance with your perplexing technical problem! Learn how to use Libby to get free ebooks & eAudiobooks with your library card. Tips on how to optimize your devices for low vision will be included. Come prepared with your own questions, as there will be plenty of time for Q & A and personalized assistance after the class!

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Blackout Poetry

January 2, 2025

We chose The Secret Garden to align with the Longwood Gardens Community Reads initiative which the library participates in. We purchased garden stickers and Black permanent markers. Three different versions of The Secret Garden (Illustrated Beginner Reader, Abridged, and Unabridged) were salvaged from the Used Book Sale. We had glue and construction paper available for those who wanted to mount their poetry.
We first began by explaining the concept and showing some examples. We played classical music in the background while people created. Ten minutes before the end of the program, we invited participants to share if they felt comfortable doing so.

We ran this program twice, once for teens and another for adults.

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Leap Day Party

January 2, 2025

Where can you find origami frog races, recycled rabbit art, and carrot crunching guests? At the library’s Leap Day Party! Families and youth of all ages are invited to join us in celebrating a day that only comes around every four years. Don’t forget to write a note and draw a picture for our Leap Day time capsule.

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Pizza & Pages

January 2, 2025

Pizza & Pages grew out of Teen Club, Betsy’s monthly series of parties, outings, and other fun get-togethers. The teens couldn’t get enough and wanted to meet more than once a month, so Pizza & Pages was born.

Betsy secured a monthly pizza donation from Vesuvio’s, our local Italian restaurant. Many of the teens in our community are busy – sports, farm work, college courses online. So instead of requiring everyone to read a long book alone before the class, Betsy reads a picture book with the group and they discuss. Sometimes the books are based on a historical event she can teach them more about. Sometimes they are a doorway into discussing deeper topics or emotions. As ever, Betsy’s programs are rigorously planned and meet educational objectives while providing a source of connection for the kids.

On average, Betsy’s teen programs boast 15 to as many as 25 attendees, some of whom use it as a first step in becoming more social. They know they are welcome and safe as they learn to branch out and make new friends

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Safe Banking For Seniors

January 2, 2025

Presented by an expert from C&N Bank, this program is designed to help senior citizens navigate today’s various methods of banking. No registration required.

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Quilting with Kathy

January 2, 2025

Improve your quilting skills in this small class. A year-long project will be introduced in September, offering flexibility for each participant’s needs and skill level.

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Taiji Fundamentals

January 2, 2025

In Taiji (Tai Chi) Fundamentals you will learn Taiji principles, Taiji QiGong (meditation with mindfulness), Taiji histories, and a path for further development. Take away practices and techniques that you can use to benefit your life forever.

This program is a three-month series of sessions that build upon each other. While absences sometimes cannot be avoided, please commit to attending all of the sessions in the program.

Instructor Shannon Luo has practiced Taiji (Tai chi) for more than 9 years under Master Sun ZhenKang. Shannon is a silver medal winner in 2018 and again in 2023, and a member of the USA WuShu Team for 2023 – 2025 (Internal Martial Arts).

Shannon founded Tao’s Taiji Academy (www.TaosTaiji.org) and has been researching ways and methodologies to enable students to learn Taiji correctly and effectively. Learning Taiji the right way is priceless.

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Monday Meet-ups

January 2, 2025

Monday Meetups for ages 7-11 are all about fun and games. But they are also all about fostering social and emotional well-being in every participant. In every iteration, this program strives to empower each participant through cognitive challenges, positive social interaction, and active learning. Each meetup is planned with micro learning lessons, while still allowing for student choice to drive the direction of the day’s activity in a fun, low pressure environment.

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PA Dutch Food

January 2, 2025

Taking the pre-existing 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program which encourages families to read 1000 books with their children before starting kindergarten, we added incentives and activities using our Beanstack platform. Children receive a different incentive for every 250 books read (crayons, photos with a jumbo sign, free books, etc.) and are encouraged to complete activities that help them prepare for kindergarten. We also work with local partners to give out free books to children under age 5 throughout the community. For example, every newborn at Chambersburg Hospital goes home with a book.

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Wild Edible Plants of Pennsylvania

January 2, 2025

Join Debbie Naha-Koretzky, “The Wild Edibles Lady,” for a foraging adventure to discover the edible plants of our area! The program will include a slide show followed by a foraging walk. Signed copies of her book, Foraging Pennsylvania and New Jersey (2021, Falcon Guides), will be available. The program will cover plant identification, safety, look-alike plants, sustainable harvesting, cooking with wild plants, and nutrition.

Debbie is a registered dietitian/nutritionist, Rutgers Master Gardener, Pennsylvania Master Naturalist, certified science teacher, and wild foods author. She has conducted countless foraging programs for state organizations, environmental centers, native plant societies, state parks and more. She received her master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. This specialized training allows for a unique approach to wild edible plants.

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